Univar’s Environmental Management System covering its Middlesbrough and Billingham sites in the UK has been certified by Lloyd’s Register as meeting the requirements of the internationally recognized standard, ISO 14001.

Univar’s continuous commitment to its core value “Serious about Safety” was a significant driving force in seeking and obtaining this ISO 14001 certification. In addition to meeting rigorous external safety standards, Univar has initiated its own even more stringent standards through U+, a combined management system for Safety, Health, Environmental and Quality (SHEQ) performance. U+ is a goal-based management system that requires continual improvement, and sets a new benchmark for safety standards in the chemical distribution sector, going far beyond the legal requirements.

“This demonstrates that even in such a harsh economic climate, raising the bar in health, safety and environmental performance is vital to the continued protection of our employees, the environment and in providing increased confidence for customers and suppliers alike,” David Jukes, chief executive, Univar, UK, Ireland & Nordics and Distrupol, said. “Achieving ISO 14001 certification at Univar’s Middlesbrough site and our customer in-plant in Billingham has certainly raised the standard and the results we continue to achieve in the areas of health, safety and the environment clearly show that we maintain our leadership position in this important area.”

Operating from 56 distribution locations in 20 countries across Europe, Univar’s 2,500 local employees serve more than 50,000 European customers in a diverse range of industries including coatings, food, personal care, pharma and other major sectors.